SIXTY YEAllS ON THE TURF 



Lambert. Between him and John Day prevailed a 

 friendship, based on mutual interests and personal 

 liking, only to be dissolved by death. I reproduce 

 the pertinent points of Mr. Lambert's letter to me, 

 the same bearing date January 22, 1901 : 



"Virago was tried, when a two-year-old, one 

 mile, and old John Day thought her better than. 

 Crucifix. Little Harry tried her for the two Epsom 

 events. The weights I never knew before the Good- 

 wood Cup. She was tried as follows : 

 " Virago 8 st. 7 lb. — 3 years. 

 " Little Harry 7 st. 7 lb. — 5 years. 



" Little Harry won by a neck. The old man told 

 me this as they started for the Cup. Mr. Padwick 

 never knew it — nor any one else." 



Trainers of the present time might well sigh for 

 another Virago, who was only beaten once as a 

 three-year-old. This was at York, in a T.Y.C race, 

 when odds of 2 to 1 were laid on her. And I recall, 

 as though it were but yesterday, the Ring expressions 

 at her failure. " At last," was the general comment 

 of the bookmakers ; "at last we have got something 

 out of Virago ! " That something had been a long 

 time coming, as, in addition to the City and Subur- 

 ban and the Great Metropolitan, Virago had swept 



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